Attack of the Gulf Fritillary

There was an unbelievable number of these butterflies attacking the flowers and butterfly bush last Thursday.  I've never seen so many.  I believe they are Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), but I'm certainly subject to being corrected.

2 Things Challenge: Chain/Game

The 2 Things Challenge this week is Chain/Game. 

It surely looks like Mason thinks going for a ride on the chain supported swing is a game to be enjoyed.

Liberty Park Fisherman

An 8x10 print of this photo won a blue ribbon in the "People" category and a "Best of Show" ribbon for all adult (age not content) photography at the Shelby County Fair this week.  I thought others were better, but hey, I'm not the judge.

Sizzler!

This thing goes pretty fast.

But I got it standing still.

1001 Nachts

Went to the local Shelby County Fair last night, mostly to see if any photographs won ribbons (more on that later) and to take a few new ones. 

This must be a German ride (1001 Nachts?).  Lots of smiles during loading.

And lots of screams a few minutes later.

2 Things Challenge: Bumper/Crop

The 2 Things Challenge for this week was Bumper/Crop.  I parked next to this car today and I thought it fit the challenge.  Here is a bumper crop of bumper stickers, so many they won't all fit on the bumper and some wind up on the back of the trunk lid. 

Perhaps it's because Alabama is, as the bottom middle sticker says, "A Really Red State," meaning predominantly Republican, that most of the cars I've seen with more than a couple of bumper stickers seem to belong to people who lean rather emphatically to the left politically.  Of course there's always the occasional right wing extremist who goes beyond the bumper sticker to actually painting their slogans on the car with spray paint, but those are really rare, even in Alabama.

How about some of you from "blue" states?  Does the bumper sticker mania seem to apply more to the left, right, or is it more universal?

Amen

I saw this young lady yesterday afternoon as she gave thanks for a drop of water from the leaking hose connection.

While I was trying to make her photograph, her friend sauntered up and wanted her picture taken too.

They may look like they are praying, but their mouths let you know, they are preying.  They remind me of Arnold's adversary in the movie Predator, and for good reason.

2 Things Challenge: Wooden/Eye

The 2 Things Challenge this week is Wooden/Eye.  Have a look.

Mourning

One morning last week I spotted this in the bird bath.

At first I thought it was an incredibly smooth river pebble from the flower bed that Mason had put into the bird bath.

But closer examination determined it was really an egg, most likely from a mourning dove.  Why she chose to lay it in the bird bath I'll never know, but I can just see her thinking, "Whoa, what was that?"

Dew Circles

Walking through the dew covered grass Thursday morning, the sun glinted off this tiny beautiful spider web.

Down in the grass was a tiny spider, waiting on another meal before winter gets here,  or maybe she was just catching water.

2 Things Challenge: Here/Gone

The 2 Things Challenge this week is Here/Gone.

Columbiana has been the county seat for Shelby County, Alabama, since 1826.  For the U. S. that's a long time.  At several places throughout the town you can find these steps from the street to a vacant lot, since the grand old house that used to be here is now gone; ravaged by fire, eaten by termites, or simply allowed to decay into the ground.

Gross Out Warning!

Have you ever plucked a honeysuckle blossom and sipped the sweet drop of nectar at its base?